


Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, Wizardry, and Teenage Angst

by rotg5311



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, Gryffindor Dean Winchester, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Hogwarts First Year, Hufflepuff Castiel (Supernatural), Hufflepuff Pride, Love/Hate, M/M, No Underage Sex, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Wizard Angst, Wizard Castiel (Supernatural), Wizard Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-12 20:27:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18454031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rotg5311/pseuds/rotg5311
Summary: Castiel is excited for his first year at Hogwarts. Learning, friendship, and magic... What more could he ask for?





	1. The emerald green eyes of Diagon Alley

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiiii to anyone that decides to read this! I want to add a disclaimer: I marked this as underage, but there wont be any sex. Just a lot of dating and feelings and stuff like that. But it's always subject to change once these boys hit 17... assuming I make it that far with this story. Anyways, enjoy.

The Owl hardly came as a surprise. They had shown up like clockwork the same time every year that one of them turned eleven, and they would continue to show up for his younger siblings in the years after. It was a few days before his birthday, but he would be eleven by the time the school year started, and this was the week they sent out the letters. His was no different than the rest of his Siblings.

 

‘Dear Mr. Novak,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.’

 

The letter was signed and stamped with the official Hogwarts Crest. The second page consisted of all the necessities he would need. Uniform, books, equipment, followed by a note saying he was allowed one companion animal, no more. While Castiel didn’t have a pet of his own, he would consider getting one for the beginning of the school year. It might be fun. Quickly he jotted down the list of supplies onto another piece of parchment. Father would take care of all that for him. The only thing he needed to get for himself was a wand. If he was lucky Gabriel would go with him to Ollivander’s. Sure, he could go alone, but Castiel wasn’t too fond of venturing into Diagon Alley by himself. Once he had his list made out, he carefully folded his acceptance letter back up and put it away for safekeeping. It felt like a million letters had come and gone through his house, but this one was special. It was his, and it marked his coming of age, therefore it was special and should be treated as such. He’d keep it with all the other little treasures he had collected over the years.

Over the next week his Father bought him everything he needed for the upcoming year. His birthday came and went, and Castiel received many gifts. All were either things he wanted or things he needed. His siblings even went a little wild with spoiling him with treats and presents out of pride. They even fought and made bets about which house he would be sorted into. Castiel had siblings in every house, and all of them wanted him to be their newest member. It wasn’t something he liked to dwell on. Any house would be good, and he would be glad to get sorted into any of them. The sorting hat knew best.

The day before School started, Gabriel took Castiel and Anna to Diagon Alley. They made a few stops in the shops before heading to Ollivander’s. The once peeling gold letters over the door were now replaced, fresh and new. There was less of a dusty, old feeling to the place, that Castiel had remembered from his trips there as a child, and more of a modern feel to the building. Even a new shop owner sat behind the desk, nose in a book, featherless quill in her mouth.

“Hello, Miss.” Gabriel said, snapping her out of her peaceful activity. Her long brown hair bounced as her head whipped up to look at them. Glasses sat perched on the end of her perfect nose, in front of deep brown eyes.

“Hi!” She said in a soft voice, “Welcome to Ollivander’s. Which one of you cutie’s is picking out a wand today?”

“I am.” Anna said, stepping forward. It was a feeble attempt for her to get her hands on a wand. She was still too young for Hogwarts, being two years younger than Castiel himself. Yet, ever since she could talk, she had been begging for a wand.

“I think not, little one.” Gabriel told her, stepping around her and walking to the desk where the lady sat. Castiel could tell by his Brother’s stance that he was about to start flirting with this woman. This Woman who was probably at least twice his age, regardless of how good she looked. That was an embarrassment he wanted to avoid.

“I am.” He found himself blurting out before his Brother could say anything else. “Tomorrow is my first day.”

“Well congratulations, Dear. Don’t worry, we’ll pick out the perfect wand for you.” Then she looked over his shoulder at Anna, who was frowning at the floor behind him. “And in a couple years, we’ll get you one, too. I won’t forget about you.”

That was enough to make Anna perk up. She spent the rest of the time there asking the new Ollivander a million and one questions, thwarting any attempt Gabriel had of flirting with her. Castiel only half paid attention, hearing enough to learn that the previous owner was her Uncle, and it was a family business, and she was one of the only ones who was interested in keeping the store going after he got too old to work anymore.

After what felt like an eternity of being rejected by wand after wand, Castiel finally found the one. Well, technically it found him, because that’s what wand’s do. They choose you. Blackthorn, Unicorn hair, nine inches. The only word he could think to describe it was…unique. Some may even call it ugly, but Castiel was in love. It was so odd, so strange, and so perfectly ‘him’. Castiel thanked the Lady before paying her and leaving. Wand box clenched to his side, he felt better than he had in a long time. Thoughts swimming, heart thrumming in his chest, Castiel was too preoccupied in his own mind to notice someone walking toward him until it was too late.

They crashed into each other and he felt his stomach sink as his wand went flying from his hands, out of its box, and onto the cobblestone street. A passerby nearly stepped on it, luckily Anna was quicker to react than he was. She was shoving the man out of the way, bending to scoop the wand up, and back at Castiel’s side in a flash. Any ill feelings from the man she had nearly knocked over were melted away when she flashed him a brilliant smile. It was hard to be mad at a child as cute as she.

“Watch it, buddy.” The voice snapped Castiel back to reality. It was the person he had bumped into. A young boy his age, nose in his acceptance letter, picking up his backpack off the ground, was giving him a menacing look. Since the kid had been looking at his papers rather than where he was going, Castiel figured it was partially his fault that they crashed into each other, but he was too shy to say that out loud. Especially when he was too preoccupied by the boys stunning green eyes.

“Sorry.” Castiel managed to mutter as the boy brushed past them and into the nearest shop a little way down the street.

“What a dick.” Gabriel said, shaking his head. “Want me to go rough him up a little, Cassie?”

“No.” Was all he managed to say. Castiel tried to shake it off, but those green eyes were seared into his brain for the rest of the night.


	2. Friendly Faces of the Hogwarts Express

The next morning Castiel was up early despite hardly sleeping the night before. On top of thinking about the boy from Diagon Alley for most of the night, and the strange feelings he felt upon looking at his face, Castiel couldn’t stop thinking about Hogwarts. He was positively giddy. He had heard plenty of stories form his Brother’s and Sister’s, but he knew none of that would compare to the real thing. So, for hours, Castiel sat in bed, waiting for the first sounds of his family waking up around him. Then the day could finally get started.

Breakfast, a final run-through of everything he had packed in the days before, one last goodbye to everyone that wouldn’t be accompanying him, and Castiel was finally on Platform 9 ¾ waiting for the Hogwarts express. His hand clutched tightly to the birdcage by his side. It had been a gift from Balthazar just before bed the night before.  
“Cassie, it’s just an owl.” He told his younger Brother, trying to play it off cool. “Don’t act like I got you the entire world.”

But for Castiel it was just like that. Balthazar was a year older than him, and had been away at Hogwarts for an entire year, leaving him alone. Growing up, they had been nearly inseparable, so the time apart was heart wrenching. Now that Castiel was going to Hogwarts, too, even if he and Balthazar didn’t end up in the same House, he would have something to remember his Brother by on a daily basis. Which is why he clung to the birdcage now for dear life. He wouldn’t risk someone knocking it over and having his owl fly away. They were new for each other, it wouldn’t be able to find him once it was gone. That was a bond that came overtime with a lot of trust involved.

“Do you need me to hold your hand and sit with you?” Gabriel asked. Castiel was nervous about the train ride and finding a place to sit, but he wasn’t about to force anyone to stay with him. The rest of his siblings were gone by then, mingling with their friends while they waited for the Train to arrive. Gabriel and Balthazar were the only ones that bothered to help him out, since it was his first year.

“Guys, I’ll be fine. You two have been hanging out with me all Summer, I’m sure you’ve got friends that would like to see you before school starts.” Castiel told them. It was true, and they all knew it. Gabriel ran off to find a group of girls to flirt with, while Balthazar promised to find him an empty spot to sit before he wet off to find his own friends. It was a small mercy, but Castiel appreciated it more than words could describe.

True to his word, Balthazar found him an empty compartment to sit in before taking his leave. Unfortunately it didn’t stay that way for long. A girl knocked on the glass, silently asking if she could sit with him. He wouldn’t have said no to her even if he wanted to. Thick long red curls hung over her shoulders, the same color and nearly the same style as Anna. It made him miss his little sister, even though they had only been apart for about an hour. He’d send her a letter as soon as he had the free time.

“Hi. Sorry, but everywhere else seems full.” She plopped herself across from him before sticking out her hand to shake. “Charlie Bradbury.”

“Castiel Novak.”

“No way. You’re a Novak?” She looked around the compartment again. “Are you sure I can stay?”

Castiel wasn’t sure if she was referring to his overly large family of Brothers and Sisters and Cousins, implying that he shouldn’t be sitting alone, or if she was suggesting that his family was too rich and well known to be sitting with someone like her. Bradbury wasn’t a name he was familiar with, and her robes looked secondhand. It was something he had been taught to notice, though he would never discriminate someone simply for the money they may or may not have. Besides, he could use a friend, especially one that reminded him so much of Anna.

“Be my guest. I don’t need the space to myself.”

Maybe she would have replied, or maybe she did and Castiel just tuned it out. He would never know because all his attention was on the compartment door opening. With a sinking stomach, Castiel recognized the newest member of their tiny party as the green eyed boy from Diagon Alley. Castiel waited for an introduction, a hi or a wave, maybe even a nod. But as the minutes ticked on, Castiel would’ve even been fine with acknowledgement of any kind. Instead, the boy sat next to Charlie, diagonally from him, with his face in a book and his feet curled up on the seat. Charlie looked at the boy, then looked at Castiel and rolled her eyes.

“Room for two more?” A light voice said from the doorway. A girl, clearly a first year poked her head through. Blonde hair, button nose, and a smile sweeter than honey was the first thing he noticed. The second being the taller upperclassman standing behind her sporting a mullet. Who even wore mullets nowadays? Not only was it such an old style, it was muggle style at that.

“Absolutely” Charlie was answering before Castiel could figure out how they would all fit in the compartment comfortably. So, he scooched over to make room for them. Now he was directly across from the green eyed boy, who perked up at the new girl.

“I’m Jo, this is Ash.” She told them, pointing to what Castiel could only assume was her Brother. 

“I’m Dean, nice to meet you.” The green eyed boy spoke up, sticking a hand out for her to shake. Castiel was floored. First, he was rude in Diagon Alley, then he outright ignored Castiel and Charlie, but as soon as a pretty face walks through the door, Dean is as friendly as can be. The only comfort Castiel found was that by the look on her face, Charlie was thinking the exact same thing.

They made their introductions, and then Castiel was forced to listen to Dean flirt with Jo for the next twenty minutes. Either she wasn’t interested or she wasn’t aware of what he was doing. After all, they were all eleven. Castiel knew this was about the age where boys and girls started liking each other, instead of being afraid of ‘cooties’. While he himself hadn’t felt any of those urges, he knew most boys his age were starting to have crushes on seemingly any and all the girls they had any kind of contact with. Castiel wondered why Jo wasn’t giggling and blushing the way most girls would’ve. Dean was such a smooth talker, even Castiel found himself tuned in to every word Dean said. Though, the only thing more interesting than what Dean was saying were those stunning green eyes.


	3. The Sorting Hat Knows Best

The ride could’ve lasted an hour or a day and Castiel would never have known. He was too busy having fun. Genuine fun. Castiel never really had friends outside his own family. Brothers, sisters, and cousins who were all old enough to play but still young enough to want to be around him had been his ‘friends’, though he wasn’t sure they counted, since they were family. Sure, he had always been friendly with the other children in his grade, but he never truly had friends. But now, laughing along with everyone in the compartment with him, he thought he just might make some friends this year. Sure, maybe this would be the last time he talked to Charlie, Jo, Ash, or Dean, but this small interaction gave him the little confidence boost he needed to go out of his way to make friends this year. Even if it was only one.

Hogwarts was so much bigger and more grand than he expected. Castiel had seen pictures before, but they didn’t do the castle justice. Parts of it had been rebuilt years ago from the Battle of Hogwarts, but from what he could tell, it had been rebuilt to look the same as it had before. The closer they got, the giddier he became. For years, he had waited for this moment, and now it was here. The only thing he wouldn’t allow himself to do was think about the Sorting Hat. Whatever happened, happened, and he wasn’t going to let himself dwell on it. 

A tall dark skinned, curly haired woman stood in front of the giant wooden doors, waiting for them. Dressed from head to toe in black robes, including a fabulous pair of leather gloves, she radiated intensity. Either she would end up becoming Castiel’s favorite Professor, or his worst nightmare. Only time would tell.

“Welcome to Hogwarts.” She told them, looking as uninterested as possible. “My name is Billie Reaper and I’ll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. You will come to find out I’m not the only ‘Reaper’ here, therefore you may call me Billie or simply Professor. Both are acceptable. The start-of-term Banquet is about to begin, but first you’ll be sorted into your Houses.”

They moved as one big mass, heading to another giant door, where Billie stopped them once more. “For those of you who don’t know already, the four Houses of Hogwarts are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. The Sorting Hat places you into whatever house it believes you would be best in, and that House becomes something of a family to you during your time here.”

Castiel’s cheeks burned as they walked down the middle aisle of the Great Hall. Two tables on either side of him, all packed full of students, and every eye in the room focused in on them. On him. A few faces he recognized. Two of his cousins, Uriel and Zachariah, sat together at the Ravenclaw table staring back at him. He gave a small wave to Uriel. They had been friends once upon a time. Zachariah on the other hand… Well the age gap between them never let them connect.

The Sorting hat sat on a stool and sang a song. Looking around at the other first-year faces, Castiel could tell which ones were muggle born just by the sheer look of surprise on their faces at a singing hat. A few here and there, but his eyes honed in on Dean. Terror flashed across his face for thirty seconds while he stared in horror at the Hat, before he seemed to realize what he was doing and fixed his face. Once again a look of indifference took its rightful place on Dean’s face.

One by one Billie called their names, alphabetically. Charlie Bradbury. The hat barely touched her head before it called out Gryffindor. Castiel clapped along with the other students. Joanna Beth Harvelle, Hufflepuff. Castiel laughed as he saw, and heard, Ash whooping and hollering from the Ravenclaw table. More Gryffindor’s, Hufflepuff’s, Slytherin’s, and Ravenclaw’s were called.

“Castiel Novak.” It was like the air was sucked right out of his lungs. Legs wobbling all the way to the stool, Castiel’s face burned more than it had ever before. All eyes were on him now, and the more embarrassed he got, the redder his face became, which led to more embarrassment and a deeper shade of red each time. It was an endless torturous cycle.

‘Another Novak, huh?’ The Sorting Hat sounded off in his mind. ‘Haven’t seen this many kids in one family since the Weasley’s.’

Castiel had read about them before. The Weasley’s had footnotes in all the recent Wizarding History books, for good reason too.

‘Ah, a smart boy. You’d do well in Ravenclaw, no doubt. But I see greater things in your future.’

That piqued his interest. What could he possibly be ‘destined’ for? They went back and forth for what seemed like hours, though he knew it couldn’t have been more than a couple minutes at most. Castiel never outright argued with the Hat, and yet it was like it couldn’t settle on a House for him. It was nerve-wracking.

“Hufflepuff!” The Hat finally cried and Castiel’s heart swelled with enormous joy.

On the way to the Hufflepuff table to take his seat with his new House members, he saw Gabriel leaning across his seat at the Slytherin table to exchange a few knuts and sickles with Hannah, who sat proudly at the Hufflepuff table. He wondered who else in his family had won that bet.

His place among the other first-year Hufflepuff’s felt almost natural. Thankfully Jo had pushed over, making sure he had a seat next to her. She was talking to a dark skinned boy named Victor. Castiel was also introduced to a smaller boy, Garth. Victor and Garth sat side by side but they didn’t talk to each other. Most of the conversation flowed through either himself or Jo. He thought it was weird, but he wasn’t about to mention it. Castiel didn’t do well in uncomfortable situations. 

He ate slowly. There had been so much excitement that it killed any sort of appetite that he had been building on the train. Still, Castiel knew that if he didn’t eat now, he’d regret it later. Eyes searching the crowd, he managed to pinpoint Balthazar. He sent a small wave. He had kind of been hoping to end up in Ravenclaw with Balthazar, but now that he was in Hufflepuff, he knew that it was the best house for him. Next, his eyes drifted to the Gryffindor table, landing on a fiery head of hair. Charlie, and glued to her side was Dean. They were talking and laughing, which left a bitter feeling in Castiel’s chest. So Dean wasn’t a cold, unpleasant person. He just didn’t like Castiel. He knew it shouldn’t hurt as much as it did.

Then all of the first years were being lead out of the Dining Hall by their prefects. Hannah lead them down one hall, separating them from the rest of the first years. Castiel refused to look back and see which way Dean and the rest of the Gryffindors went, no matter how much he wanted to. Really it was none of his business. The Hufflepuff Dormitory was down the same corridor as the kitchens. Hannah stopped in front of a large stack of barrels, turning to face all the patiently waiting faces behind her.

“This barrel right here,” She pointed to the one that sat second row from the bottom directly in the middle. It looked identical to the rest. “Is the key to getting in. Tap the rhythm to ‘Helga Hufflepuff’ on it, and it’ll open. Now it’s important that you tap this barrel only. The wrong barrel or the wrong lid means you get drenched in vinegar.”

Castiel wrinkled his nose at that. He’d rather not take a vinegar bath and vowed to never tap the password wrong. After Hannah told them how important it was to not share the password with any other house, she lead them in. An earthy passage lead to round, low ceiling room. Honey colored wood tables were scattered across the room, and Castiel’s eyes were drawn to the two large round doors on the far side. But the best part was all the plant life. Cacti lined shelves that were built to perfectly fit the curved walls, tendrils or ferns and ivies dangled from the ceiling, brushing Castiel’s hair, and not to mention all the other plants he had no idea what to call. It was beautiful.

A portrait of a woman Castiel recognized to be Helga Hufflepuff herself sat above the wooden mantelpiece. She toasted all the new students with a two handled golden cup and smiled down at them. Castiel looked around the room once more and decided that this was the perfect place to call home for the next seven years.


	4. First Day, Worst Day?

Jo and a few other girls had been sent through one of the rounded wooden doors, while Castiel and the rest of the male first years had been ushered through the other one. The dorm room was fairly simple. Five beds sat an equal distance apart around the room, each having a trunk at the end and a nightstand to the side. Yellow canopies and sheets covered the bed. Castiel thought it was a little excessive, but at least it was a color he enjoyed. He waited for the other boys to claim their beds first, choosing to take the last one available. He could care less what bed he slept in, but he knew some people could be peculiar about that kind of thing.

The other boys talked as Castiel put his stuff away. Sure enough it had all been brought up like they’d promised. He looked at his owl and gave it a soft smile. Besides himself there was also Victor, Garth, and two boys named Ed and Harry who had apparently already known each other and were absolutely thrilled that they ended up in the same house. Castiel listened to everyone talk, throwing in a few words here and there. He had never been much of a talker, but he enjoyed hearing another voice besides his own. Both Ed and Harry had one muggle parent each, Victor had two magic parents while Garth had none. Castiel was the only true pure-blood. Not that Castiel cared for that sort of thing, but it was a topic that tended to come up at some point or another.

“I just think this is all so neat.” Garth said in a cheery voice that Castiel was beginning to think was just his natural voice. The next few minutes were spent with everyone talking about magic things that muggles had no access to, each person trying to outdo the other in wowing Garth.

“The real wonder is that you’re sharing a dorm with royalty.” Victor told Garth. Castiel’s stomach churned. Of course he knew he was the ‘royalty’ Victor was talking about.

“What? Royalty?” Garth’s eyes widened, flashing over each face in the room.

“He’s being dramatic.” Castiel butted into the conversation, trying to diffuse it before it made him more uncomfortable. “I’m not royalty. I just have a… rich heritage, if you will.”

“Rich heritage, rich daddy. Same thing.” Victor winked at him from across the room. “The point is, there’s like a million of them in this school, so getting on pretty boy’s good side is in your best interest.”

“Wow you have a big family?” Garth breezed right over the rich part and Castiel was glad. It wasn’t something he liked dwelling on. He was from a very prestigious family, and even though he was young, he knew people treated him differently because of it. “I always wanted a big family. It’s just me and my Ma.”

“Trust me. It may sound like a good thing, but do you know how many Brother’s, Sister’s, and Cousins I have to live up to? Teacher’s hear Novak and hope they get another Hannah instead of another Gabriel.”

“So which one are you?” Ed asked.

“Neither. I’m me. You’ll all just have to find out if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.” Castiel bluffed. He was an angelic soul. There’s no way he could do anything bad, much less get in trouble.

The five of them stayed up later than they should have chatting. Castiel eventually put his owl on a perch. He still had no name for her. In fact, he didn’t even know if it was a ‘her’ or not. Balthazar didn’t say and Castiel wasn’t sure how to go about checking. She nuzzled her neck down into her body, closing her eyes and drifting off in a way Castiel just couldn’t seem to do. He was too preoccupied with thinking of his classes that started the next day. Everyone else seemed to be asleep long before he was. Harry even had a soft little snore that wasn’t quite obnoxious enough to bother him.

One second Castiel was wondering if it was actually Harry snoring or Ed, and the next his eyes were snapping open to Garth bouncing around the room. He didn’t even realize he fell asleep. It hadn’t been nearly enough, but it would get him through the day. After he was cleaned up and dressed, the five of them headed to their first class. Along the way they met up with the new girl Hufflepuffs who seemed to be more confident in which way they were headed. Castiel fell in line along side Jo, feeling thankful when she slowed her pace and let them fall behind the group to talk.

“So, how are you liking it?” He asked her, unsure of how else to start a conversation.

“Well, I don’t hate it.” She gave him a bland face, like her words didn’t match her feelings. Perhaps it was her roommates that were the issue.

“Anything I can fix?” Castiel asked out of habit. He didn’t like when people were upset, but he also understood that he couldn’t always fix every problem.

“No. But thanks.” She glanced back at him, taking in his appearance. Castiel blushed a little, realizing how disheveled he must look with his tie out of place. He hadn’t been able to get it just right, but it was passable. He just didn’t want to get called out on it and he had a little too much pride to ask for help. “How do you like it? Did you get any sleep at all? I didn’t.”

“Not nearly enough. Other than that, they all seem nice.” It was the best he could say. They had only talked for a couple hours, he didn’t know them that well. They rounded the corner, heading straight for the first door on the left. Castiel felt himself bristle as he made eye contact with green. He had been desperately hoping he wouldn’t see Dean today, if at all. Apparently luck wasn’t on his side. History of Magic with Dean. Lovely. Even worse was that he ended up at the table next to Dean’s. His only saving grace that sat between him and Dean was Charlie. She gave him a smile and a wave, which he returned.

Castiel had grossly miscalculated the amount of sleep he needed for the day. They were only halfway through the first class of the day and he could feel his head trying to make a connection with the table. He was tired, he was bored, and those two made a dangerous combination in trying to stay awake in class. At least he wasn’t the only one. He glanced to Jo first, taking in the glassy look in her eyes, then to Charlie who looked like she was on the verge of boredom tears, and finally to Dean. He had one hand holding up his head, the other folding at a piece of parchment in front of him.

Maybe he looked for a little too long, because once Dean sensed eyes on him, he was tilting his head, catching Castiel staring. Heat rushed to his cheeks as he turned away. Something about Dean made him feel so agitated, though he wasn’t sure what. The rest of class Castiel managed to keep his eyes on the board and the teacher, though he was sure he could feel eyes on him at several points. This was quickly turning into his least favorite class and he desperately hoped the rest wouldn’t get any worse.


	5. The Broken Vow of Silence

Of course Castiel had to jinx himself by wishing for smooth sailing in his other classes. Out of his seven classes Dean was in four of them. It was some of the worst luck he’d had in such a long time that he couldn’t help but stop and wonder what he did to deserve it. Over the next week Castiel and Jo had become inseparable. Garth hung out with them more often than not, and Charlie and Jo had developed some sort of affinity for each other. Which left Castiel with Dean a lot. He wasn’t happy. They never talked, which was purely Dean’s fault. Castiel talked to Dean’s other Gryffindor friend more often than not. Benny, a big burly boy with a mean face and a heart of gold.

Still Castiel was on edge. Sure, it’s not like he had actively tried to talk to Dean, but he felt like it was out of his hands now. With all that had happened, he felt like Dean should be the first one to break that silence. He was the one that yelled at him in Diagon Alley. He was the one who ignored him on the train. He was the one who hadn’t looked in Castiel’s direction for more than a few seconds in passing. So why should Castiel be the one to try and be his friend? Clearly Dean was so vehemently against it.

“Buddy, you’re a little quiet. Wanna tune back in or should we just count you out?” Jo said, tapping Castiel on the shoulder, dragging him out of his head and back to reality.

“I’m sorry, what?” He asked, giving her his most apologetic look. Sometimes he had a habit of tuning out. If they were going to be friends, then she’d have to get used to it at some point.

“We’re talking about exploring the castle.” Charlie told him. “Finding all the nooks and crannies that they’re trying to hide from us.”

“Well, maybe they’re hidden for a reason.” Castiel told her. Of course he’d go with them. He wasn’t exactly sure on the details, but how bad could it really be? The only thing off limits was the forbidden forest. Surely they wouldn’t go there.

“Don’t be such a spoil sport. Hidden things are meant to be found. Besides, I want to find the room of requirements. I hear no one's been in it in a couple decades.” Jo was practically bouncing.

“Fine. When?” Castiel asked, knowing it didn’t really matter. It’s not like he had other plans anytime soon.

“Tonight.” Dean told him, smiling. Castiel had a mouth full of water than he nearly choked on and spit out. Just barely managing to get it down the right tube, he looked at Dean with presumably wild eyes. It had been weeks since they met and now he was just going to start talking like everything was normal? It was the better alternative to not talking at all, he supposed. 

Before Castiel could reply, heavy footsteps sounded off down the hall. It was more likely than not a Professor, considering all classes were in session and they were running late. A collective scurry spread through the group, as one after the other they all ran around the corner toward class. Castiel’s mind wasn’t even focused on the fact that they could get in trouble. He was too busy wondering what exactly had gotten into Dean. As far as he knew, their dynamic hadn’t changed. The only thing he could think of was grumbling to Jo about Dean being ‘stuck up’ the other day. Surely she didn’t say anything to him? But it was the only thing he could think of. Maybe she told Charlie, then Charlie told Dean? Either way, Castiel didn’t know whether to be glad or angry.

Dean made a decent excuse as to why they were late for Herbology. Whether the Professor couldn’t tell that it was a lie or simply just didn’t care, Castiel didn’t know. His brain was too busy in a constant scream because Dean had taken the place directly next to him. It usually went Castiel, Jo, Charlie, and then Dean, with Garth and Benny across the table. No one else acted like it was a big deal, so Castiel didn’t either.

“So,” Dean said in a hushed voice, making sure everyone was listening before continuing. “Nine tonight? Everyone should be asleep by then.”

It was the oddest thing when Dean waited for everyone to nod in agreement, including Castiel. Everyone started talking about where they should go first, but he could care less. He had mixed feelings about what had taken place. It was like he had gone from invisible to part of Dean’s exclusive gang in under twenty minutes and his head was reeling.

“What about you, Cas?” Castiel heard Dean’s voice, but it still took him a few seconds to realize the question had been directed at him. Cas? First Dean decides to ‘bless’ him with his voice, now he has nicknames for him? He couldn’t help but bristle at that.

“What?” Castiel didn’t look up from the pile of fertilizer in front of him.

“Where do you think we should look? For the room of requirements. Jo’s got her itty bitty little heart set on it. Ow hey, stop hitting me, it was a joke.”

Castiel glanced over and saw Dean rubbing at his arm. Jo sneered in his direction.

“Just because I don’t like you, Winchester, doesn’t mean I’m some heartless shrew.” Jo told him, flicking some dirt his way when the Professor’s back was turned.

“You love me, Jo.” He pouted, backing up into Castiel to avoid her fist flying in his direction. He was turning around in an instant to grab onto Castiel’s arm, steadying him. “Sorry, man.”

Castiel realized that he had been wrong. Maybe Dean Winchester had seemed a little rough around the edges, and sure he hadn’t made any attempt to talk in the past few weeks for whatever reason. But with a soft smile and a gentle voice like that, how could Castiel ever stay mad at him?


	6. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong company

Sneaking out had been a bad idea. It was such a bad idea. Why was Castiel there? For friends? He’d gone years without friends and been fine. But as soon as he goes out and makes friends he gets in trouble. It might have even been poetic, except it wasn’t even his ‘friends’ to blame. It was solely Dean Winchester.

Castiel was sitting in detention on a Saturday morning, three desks apart from Dean so they couldn’t pass notes, and it was all Dean’s fault. Sure, he’d been the one to break off from the group and follow Dean, so yes Castiel could take some of the blame. But it had all been Dean’s idea in the first place. When he finally looked up from his parchment, Dean was staring back, attempting to shoot him an apologetic smile. Castiel ignored it and got back to work. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could crawl back into bed and sleep off this shame and embarrassment.

He never got in trouble. This felt like a punishment for something he didn’t even know he’d done wrong. Yes, sneaking out was against the rules. All students had a ‘bedtime’ and weren’t allowed to roam the halls. But it’s not like they were even doing anything bad. Just some harmless exploring. It was all Dean’s fault. This had to be some sort of cosmic signal to stay as far away from that boy as possible.

“Cas, wait.” Dean grabbed his shoulder on the way out of the detention room. Two hours of his life that he would never get back, and Dean had the nerve to grab him?

“What?” It came out less snappy than Castiel had planned. But he had a hard time being overly aggressive, even if people deserved it. Hopefully his face got the message across that his voice couldn’t.

“Look, I’m sorry. How was I supposed to know Billie likes a late night stroll in that specific hallway? It’s not like you had to follow me, you know.”

Castiel could feel his cheeks heating up out of anger. Of course Dean was right, but that didn’t mean he wanted to hear it.

“You’re right. My mistake. It won't happen again.” Castiel said before storming off again. He could hear Dean’s footsteps behind him. Why wouldn’t he just leave him alone? Castiel stopped suddenly, turning around to see mildly surprised green eyes staring back at him. “May I help you?”

“Yeah. Look, Charlie will kill me if I don’t make this up to you. She said you’re a good kid. So… Sorry I got you in trouble?” Dean scratched the back of his neck, looking severely uncomfortable. Clearly he wasn’t used to apologizing for anything. Maybe it was bad for Castiel to feel better at the other boys discomfort, but he didn’t care. He could already feel his bad attitude deflating.

“Ok.”

Dean looked like he was expecting more of a fight. All Castiel wanted was an apology. Well that and a time turner to go back and keep himself from getting yelled at in the first place. But, since that couldn’t happen, he’d settle for the apology. It had seemed sincere after all. He just had to hope no one told Gabriel. His Brother would never let him live it down.

“So now what?”

“Now we go find Jo and let her harass us mercilessly about getting caught.” Castiel frowned as he said it. Of course everyone heard the commotion and took off to save themselves, but Jo had been casually sitting in the common room by the time Billie walked Castiel back to the dorms. She couldn’t say anything without Billie hearing, but he could tell by the devilish smirk on her face that she wouldn’t let him live it down either. Thankfully Garth was decent enough to not mention it all night.

They found everyone in the usual spot out in the courtyard. The fight of giggles directed at him nearly made Castiel vomit from past memories. Breathe. Castiel had to remind himself ‘They’re not laughing at you. Well, they kind of are, but not in a bad way. It’s all in good fun.’

“Have you ever seen a more infamous pair of bad boys?” Charlie gestured at the two of them, smiling.

“Hilarious.” Dean plopped down next to Benny, looking unamused.

“So, Castiel, how was it? Awful? The worst thing you’ve done in your life?” Jo gave him a fake pouty face, holding her arms out for a comforting hug. Even though Castiel rolled his eyes, he still swooped down for a quick embrace before sitting down at her feet.

He couldn’t admit that it was, so instead he changed the subject. People were easy to distract like that, especially when it was something important. Like the upcoming Potions test.

“I’ve done all the studying I can. It’s out of my hands now.” Dean shrugged as if it was no big deal. Castiel was shocked.

“It’s not even until next week. How are you done studying?” He looked at Dean like he had five heads. Five stupid heads. Which is how Castiel ended up getting himself a study group to teach. Apparently the only other one doing well in Potions was Garth, so the two of them became in charge of helping the others. It wasn’t overly difficult. The worst part was trying to get everyone to focus. Especially Dean.

The day before their test Castiel was working one on one with Dean, giving it one last shot in trying to drill as much information into his head as possible. It was exhausting.

“But there’s no wands.” Dean threw his hands up in frustration at the conversation they had been having for the past few minutes.

“A lack of wands doesn’t mean a lack of magic, Dean.” Castiel rubbed at his face. He didn’t even understand what Dean didn’t understand at this point. “How else would these ingredients react with each other? They’re magical ingredients. Like making a cake is a chemical reaction, this is a magical reaction.”

Dean slammed his book shut and closed his eyes. After all the time they spent together, Dean had made significant progress. If he could find the issue, maybe he could resolve it.

“What don’t you understand?”

“Any of it. Magic. Wands. Potions.” Dean fidgeted in his seat. “I’m not- I didn’t know about any of this stuff until like a month ago, you know? It just doesn’t click the same way for me that it does for you. I don’t really belong here.”

Oh. That wasn’t what Castiel had been expecting. Of course he had assumed Dean was from a muggle-born family, but he never realized exactly how hard that was on him. Fortunately, Castiel had a decent knowledge reserve of all things Muggle. He had been approaching this from the wrong angle.

“Well if you didn’t belong here, you wouldn’t have gotten a letter. Now let’s try this from a different angle.” One way or another Castiel knew he would find a way to help Dean.


	7. Momma Jo

After Dean had been overjoyed to get a B on his test, he started asking Castiel more and more for help. Of course Castiel didn’t mind, helping people was what he did best. His only problem was Dean himself. He swung wildly from standoffish and reserved to extreme goofiness. Castiel never knew what to expect from moment to moment. It seemed like he was trying too hard to fit in, but Castiel didn’t know which Dean was the real Dean. Quiet? Calm? A Joker? The Wildcard? Dean was a die with many faces.

The one thing that Castiel knew for sure was that Dean didn’t talk about his past. As far as he could tell no one knew anything about Dean’s family, though he wasn’t really brave enough to ask. Perhaps Benny or Charlie? The three of them were always together. If they eventually they became good enough friends, Dean might tell him. And they were friends, weren’t they? Castiel wasn’t entirely sure. They studied together, they hung out as a group, they even talked. But still, Castiel felt like Dean was holding back. For what reason, he had no idea. Not that it mattered. He had more important things to worry about than a moody boy with green eyes. Like homework, tests, and some newfound bullies.

Castiel had nothing against Slytherins. Gabriel was one, along with a handful of other Siblings, Cousins, Aunts and Uncles. Most people had dropped those kinds of prejudices against Slytherin years ago. Castiel just didn’t like bullies, no matter where they were from. He had dealt with plenty of them before and had honestly been hoping to avoid it here. It had been a foolish thing to wish for.

Meg and Crowley had started in on him every time he was alone, which wasn’t too often. As soon as he realized they were really cowards, he always tried attaching himself to someone else. Anyone else. Yet this time, he found himself shuffling alone in the Hall at the exact time they were wandering in the opposite direction. Castiel’s heart sank. There wasn’t much he could do without getting himself in trouble, and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Once a school year had been more than enough for a lifetime.

“Well if it isn’t Pretty Boy himself.” Meg said in an exaggerated voice. He knew it was supposed to be an insult, but being called ‘pretty boy’ didn’t bother him the way it did most men. Pretty was a compliment regardless of gender.

“Hello, Meg.” Castiel’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. They all knew how this was going to end. The same way it did every time. Not pleasantly. “Crowley.”

“That’s all I get?” Crowley flashed him a distasteful look, fixing his tie in his eternal attempt to be the ‘beauty’ of this operation.

“What would you prefer? Hello, your majesty?” Castiel knew he should keep his mouth shut. It was just so hard not being snarky when they left so many openings for him.

“That’s got a nice ring to it.”

“Shut up.” Meg snapped at him. From the time he met them at the beginning of the year, Castiel could clearly see who was the Alpha in this pairing. “Look here, Cassie, I want your help.”

“My help?” Castiel was confused, but he knew for a fact he wouldn’t help either of them with anything, no matter what, especially with her calling him by his familial nickname. Meg could ask him for directions to a room down the hall and he would rather throw himself down the nearest flight of stairs.

“Your Brother. I want some… information.” She grabbed onto his robe, pulling it out in what he figured was some sort of display of aggression before smoothing it back down. Castiel didn’t really care for being touched in the first place, but when it was someone he despised, it made his blood boil.

“Michael? Well, he’s a little old for you. Give it a few years and try again.” Castiel smiled and walked away. A hand grabbed the back of his collar, yanking him back. Crowley held on like the attentive guard dog he was.

“Not that one, you little shit.” Meg’s voice was interrupted by a shout down the hallway. Looking, Castiel saw Benny, Garth, and Jo walking his way. He had never seen Jo so angry. It was like looking at a little yellow ball of fury. The sun, hot and fiery rage. Benny and Garth radiated similar energies.

“Hey, bitch. Back up.” Jo was storming down the hall. “And you. Get your paws off him before I break them.”

Clearly outnumbered, and adding in the fact that Meg and Crowley had only been cowardly enough to approach him while he was alone so far, the pair shot a threat Castiel’s way and fled down the nearest corner. They were gone by the time Jo, Garth, and Benny got there. He was immediately wrapped up in strong but delicate arms.

“Oh, Honey did they hurt you?” Jo said, bending to bury her face in his hair. As of now, she was just a few inches taller than him, though he hoped it wouldn’t stay that way once he finally hit puberty. ‘Honey’ was a name he hadn’t heard her use before. But she had never seemed this worried about him before either. Maybe that had something to do with it.

“No more than usual.” The words fell out before he could stop them. It was supposed to be comforting, but instead just alerted everyone to the ongoing issue he had been having.

“You mean they’ve done it before?” Castiel could see Garth’s tiny frame practically shaking with anger. He may be a little weird on occasion, but that never stopped him from being such a dedicated friend.

“Not a lot-” Castiel was saying in an attempt to relax everyone, but Benny cut him off in a very uncharacteristic fashion.

“I can take care of it for you, Cas.” Dean’s nickname for him had been catching on more and more, and Castiel wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He also didn’t know how to feel about Benny’s idea of ‘taking care’ of them. Benny was a big guy, he could do some serious damage. Physical fighting wasn’t allowed, and he could get expelled for that. He was also very smart, so doing any number of curses on them was a possibility, too. Which was sadly also against the rules. Castiel wasn’t about to let anyone get in trouble for him.

“It’s fine. They want something to do with my Brother. Lord knows which one though, I have plenty.” Castiel’s attempt at humor fell flat. Clearly everyone was still upset, though he couldn’t see why. He was fine. It was odd having friends for the first time that truly cared about his well being.

**Author's Note:**

> Characters will be added to the list as the story progresses. Don't worry, there will be a lot of familiar faces.


End file.
